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started barking.  Gregory was happy to ignore the crazy lady on the chair.
    “What have you got there?” he said to Alfie, lifting the cushion.
    “Gross!” Hailey whined, pulling her hand up around her mouth, holding back a gag.  Gregory held up a tuft of white dog hair that matched Mable, the bright white Skye terrier of Nori.  Christy gently put Snowy on the ground and waved Gregory out of the room. 
    “Gregory, do you mind if we have a moment?”  He shrugged and took the tuft of hair. “You too, Alfie.  I’ll be right down.” Alfie whined.  “No, you go back to bed.  That’s right.  You’re a good dog.  You want me to get you a treat?”  Alfie’s entire back end wagged. “Ok, well go find your bed.”  The Pomeranian scampered down the steps.  Hailey went back to crying.  Pulling her down off the chair and hugging her shoulder, Christy shook her gently and whispered, “Hey.  I know it’s been a big day.  First you lose your job and then your boss dies.  I remember when my Grandfather died.  I think I cried for a solid week.  Do you want some warm milk or peppermint tea?” Hailey looked over at the camera on the table.
    “I just didn’t get it.  All he loved was that damn camera and his dogs.  The last thing I did was scream that he was a monster.”
    “I’m sure he understands.  Why don’t you try to get some sleep?  The first couple of nights are the worst.” Hailey nodded and with shoulders slumped with the weight of the world she shuffled out of the room.  Christy picked up the camera and padded downstairs.

Chapter 9
    Gregory sighed and pulled the kettle off of the stove and started to fill it with water.  He obviously wasn’t going to get much sleep.  He was supposed to be done with all the bad guys.  He was supposed to ride into the sunset and sell coffee to tourists and old farmers.  Tourists and old farmers.  That was supposed to be the deal.  “They sure are good dogs,” he thought to himself as he saw Alfie race down the stairs and wait patiently on his bed in the kitchen.  Gregory thought that maybe that’s what he was missing.  He’d have to pick up a dog right after he figured out curtains for his new place.  He started rifling through the kitchen for some instant coffee or something.  Every kitchen had to have instant coffee.
    “What are you doing?” Christy demanded, setting the camera on the table.
    “Making coffee.  I can’t sleep.”
    “You can’t just waltz into my Grandmother’s kitchen and make coffee.”
    “Where’s your instant?”
    “Instant coffee!  What kind of beast are you?” Christy chided, yanking the kettle out of his hand.  “Go sit down there before I throw you out of my entire bed and breakfast and let you sleep with the wolves.”
    Gregory smirked.  “How do you know I wouldn’t just howl?”
    “Sit,” she ordered.  She busied herself grinding fresh coffee from the beans and adding water to her coffee maker.  Soon it was bubbling sweet smells of French Roast into the kitchen and she retrieved two cups from the adjoining cupboard and set them on the table.
    “That little lady in there is a mess,” Gregory said, as they listened to the echoes of Hailey still crying in her room.
    “You need to go easy on her,” Christy said as she retrieved a box of dog treats from a nearby pantry and rewarded Alfie and Snowy for staying on their beds.  Snowy whined for another but she shook her finger at him.  “Oh, you’re fine.  You know the rules.”  Turning to Gregory and sitting down with a sigh, she ran her hand through her auburn locks.  Her hair was stunning in the midnight light of the kitchen.  Gregory tried not to stare as Christy continued. “She’s just been through too much today.  I never got many of the details but J.W. fired her today.  He seemed pretty sad about the entire thing.  J.W. was convinced he was making her miserable and that she was tired of caring for an old man who was